Electric water pump

ABSTRACT

An electric water pump includes a machine body and a water suctioning unit. The machine body includes a main casing, a motor cover, a heat dissipation cover, a water cooling space between the motor cover and the heat dissipation cover, and an inside housing surrounding an inside chamber. The main casing has a water suctioning space. The water suctioning unit includes a stator around the inside housing within the main casing, a spindle connected to the motor cover, a rotor within the inside chamber, and a vane unit connected to the spindle within the water suctioning space. The spindle has a spindle channel connected between the water cooling space and the water suctioning space.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No.107118922, filed on Jun. 1, 2018.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a water pump, and more particularly to anelectric water pump.

BACKGROUND

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional water pump 1 including amachine body 11 having a water suctioning space 110, a spindle 12 thatis rotatably disposed in the machine body 11 and that has a spindlechannel 120, a stator 13 that is fixed inside the machine body 11 andthat is disposed around the spindle 12, a rotor 14 that is fixed to thespindle 12 and that is disposed between the spindle 12 and the stator13, and a vane unit 15 that is fixed to the spindle 12 and that isdisposed within the water suctioning space 110. The machine body 11includes a casing 111, and a cover 112 covering the casing 111. Thecasing has a lateral water passage 113 communicating with the spindlechannel 120 of the spindle 12. The water suctioning space 110 is formedbetween casing 111 and the cover 112. The cover 112 has an inlet port114 communicating with the water suctioning space 110, an outlet port115 communicating with the water suctioning space 110, and a connectionpassage 116 communicating with the inlet port 114 and the lateral waterpassage 113.

The stator 13 drives rotation of the rotor 14 and the spindle 12, sothat the vane unit 15 is driven to rotate and generates a centrifugalsuction force within the water suctioning space 110. As such, fluid canbe sucked through the inlet port 114 into the water suctioning space110. Due to the suctioning force of the water suctioning space 110, anegative pressure is produced in the spindle channel 120 of the spindle12, such that part of the fluid entering the inlet port 114 is sucked bythe negative pressure into the connection passage 116 and then flows tothe water suctioning space 110 after passing the lateral water passage113 and the spindle channel 120. Fluid in the water suctioning space 110is expelled from the outlet port 115. Because fluid circulates throughthe connection passage 116, the lateral water passage 113, the spindlechannel 120 and the water suctioning space 110, the spindle 12 and therotor 14 are cooled. However, such a cooling path is unable to cool thestator 13 spaced apart from the spindle 12 and the rotor 14, therebycausing poor heat dissipation.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide an electric waterpump that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to the disclosure, an electric water pump includes a machinebody and a water suctioning unit.

The machine body includes a main casing, a motor cover connected to themain casing, a heat dissipation cover covering an outer surface of themotor cover, a water cooling space formed between the motor cover andthe heat dissipation cover, and an inside housing that is disposedinside the main casing and the motor cover and that surrounds an insidechamber. The main casing has an inlet port, an outlet port, a watersuctioning space communicating with the inlet and outlet ports and theinside chamber, and a lateral water passage communicating with the watersuctioning space. The motor cover has a lateral communication channelfluidly connected between the lateral water passage and the watercooling space, a middle connection hole fluidly communicating with thewater cooling space, and at least one through hole fluidly connectedbetween the water cooling space and the inside chamber.

The water suctioning unit includes a stator that is disposed around theinside housing within the main casing, a spindle that extends in theinside chamber and that has a first end rotatably connected to the motorcover, a rotor that is disposed within the inside chamber and thatrotates relative to the stator and drives rotation of the spindle, and avane unit that is connected to a second end of the spindle and that isdisposed within the water suctioning space. Rotation of the spindledrives the vane unit to rotate and generate a centrifugal suction forcewithin the water suctioning space. The spindle has a spindle channelfluidly connected between the middle connection hole and the watersuctioning space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent inthe following detailed description of the embodiment (s) with referenceto the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional water pump;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the conventional water pump;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating an embodiment of an electricwater pump according to the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the embodiment of the electricwater pump;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the embodiment illustrating a motor cover ofthe electric water pump; and

FIG. 6 is the same view as FIG. 3 but illustrating fluid flowingdirections of the electric water pump.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate a first embodiment of an electric water pump 2according to the disclosure. The electric water pump 2 includes amachine body 3 and a water suctioning unit 4.

The machine body 3 includes a main casing 31, a motor cover 32 connectedto the main casing 31, a heat dissipation cover 33 covering an outersurface of the motor cover 32, a water cooling space 330 formed betweenthe motor cover 32 and the heat dissipation cover 33, an inside housing34 that is disposed inside the main casing 31 and the motor cover 32 andthat surrounds an inside chamber 340, and an auxiliary cover 35 that isconnected to the heat dissipation cover 33. The main casing 31 iscomposed of a cap body 313 and a casing body 314. The cap body 313 hasan inlet port 311 and an outlet port 312. The casing body 314 has twoopposite ends respectively covered by the cap body 313 and the motorcover 32. In addition, the main casing 3 has a water suctioning space316 that is defined by the casing body 314 and the cap body 313 and thatcommunicates with the inlet and outlet ports 311, 312 and the insidechamber 340, and a lateral water passage 315 formed in the casing body314 in communication with the water suctioning space 316. The casingbody 314 has a plurality of orifices 317 (shown by dotted lines in FIG.3) fluidly communicating with the water suctioning space 316 and theinside chamber 340. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the motor cover 32 has alateral communication channel 321 fluidly connected between the lateralwater passage 315 and the water cooling space 330, a middle connectionhole 322 fluidly communicating with the water cooling space 330, and aplurality of through holes 323 disposed around the middle connectionholes 322. Each through hole 323 (shown by dotted lines in FIG. 3) isfluidly connected between the water cooling space 330 and the insidechamber 340.

The water suctioning unit 4 includes a stator 41, a spindle 42, a rotor43, a vane unit 44 and a control module 45. The stator 41 is disposedaround the inside housing 34 within the main casing 31. The spindle 42extends in the inside chamber 340 and has a first end 420 rotatablyconnected to the motor cover 32. The rotor 43 is disposed within theinside chamber 340 and rotates relative to the stator 41 and drivesrotation of the spindle 42. The vane unit 44 is connected to a secondend 421 of the spindle 42 and is disposed within the water suctioningspace 316. The control module 45 is attached to the heat dissipationcover 33 and covered by an auxiliary cover 35. The spindle 42 has aspindle channel 421 fluidly connected between the middle connection hole322 and the water suctioning space 316.

Referring to FIG. 6, in combination with FIGS. 4 and 5, the controlmodule 45 activates and controls rotation of the rotor 43 with respectto the stator 41, thereby driving rotation of the spindle 42 and thevane unit 44. When rotation of the spindle 42 drives the vane unit 44 torotate and generate a centrifugal suction force within the watersuctioning space 316, fluid outside of the water suctioning space 316 issucked through the inlet port 311 into the water suctioning space 316.Part of fluid within the water suctioning space 316 is sucked by anegative pressure and flows through the lateral water passage 315 andthe lateral communication channel 321 into the water cooling space 330(shown by solid-line arrows in FIG. 6). Part of fluid within the watersuctioning space 316 passes through the orifices 317 of the casing body314, the inside chamber 340, and the through holes 323 of motor cover 32to enter the water cooling space 330 (shown by dotted-line arrows).Fluid within the water cooling space 330 is sucked by the negativepressure, passes through the middle connection hole 322 of the motorcover 32 and the spindle channel 421 of the spindle 42, and flows backinto the water suctioning space 316. Fluid in the water suctioning space316 is directed to and discharged from the outlet port 312 of the capbody 313. During the circulation of fluid, aside from being cooled bythe fluid flowing through the spindle channel 421, the rotor 43 isimmersed in and cooled by the fluid flowing within the inside chamber340, thereby increasing heat dissipation area and enhancing heatdissipation effect. Because the inside chamber 340 of the inside housing34 is filled with the fluid, the inside housing 34 can dissipate heatdelivered from the stator 41 to the machine body 3. The heat dissipationcover 33, which carries fluid, can disperse heat from the control module45 by heat conduction. In other words, the electric water pump 2 canimprove heat dissipation and cooling efficiency by providing two fluidcirculation paths: (1) fluid flowing through the water suctioning space316, the lateral water passage 315, the lateral communication channel321, the water cooling space 330, and the spindle channel 421 andreturning back to the water suctioning space 316; (2) fluid flowingthrough the water suctioning space 316, the orifices 317, the insidechamber 340, the through holes 323, the water cooling space 330, themiddle connection hole 322, the spindle channel 421 and returning backto the water suctioning space 316.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details have been set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the embodiment. It will be apparent, however, to oneskilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practicedwithout some of these specific details. It should also be appreciatedthat reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number andso forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristicmay be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be furtherappreciated that in the description, various features are sometimesgrouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereoffor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in theunderstanding of various inventive aspects, and that one or morefeatures or specific details from one embodiment may be practicedtogether with one or more features or specific details from anotherembodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

While the disclosure has been described in connection with what isconsidered the exemplary embodiment, it is understood that thisdisclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended tocover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of thebroadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications andequivalent arrangements.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electric water pump, comprising: a machinebody including a main casing, a motor cover connected to said maincasing, a heat dissipation cover covering an outer surface of said motorcover, a water cooling space formed between said motor cover and saidheat dissipation cover, and an inside housing that is disposed insidesaid main casing and said motor cover and that surrounds an insidechamber, said main casing having an inlet port, an outlet port, a watersuctioning space communicating with said inlet and outlet ports and saidinside chamber, and a lateral water passage communicating with saidwater suctioning space, said motor cover having a lateral communicationchannel fluidly connected between said lateral water passage and saidwater cooling space, a middle connection hole fluidly communicating withsaid water cooling space, and at least one through hole fluidlyconnected between said water cooling space and said inside chamber; anda water suctioning unit including a stator that is disposed around saidinside housing within said main casing, a spindle that extends in saidinside chamber and that has a first end rotatably connected to saidmotor cover, a rotor that is disposed within said inside chamber andthat rotates relative to said stator and drives rotation of saidspindle, and a vane unit that is connected to a second end of saidspindle and that is disposed within said water suctioning space,rotation of said spindle driving said vane unit to rotate and generate acentrifugal suction force within said water suctioning space, saidspindle having a spindle channel fluidly connected between said middleconnection hole and said water suctioning space.
 2. The electric waterpump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said water suctioning unit furtherincludes control module attached to said heat dissipation cover.
 3. Theelectric water pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main casing iscomposed of a casing body and a cap body, said casing body having twoopposite ends respectively covered by said cap body and said motorcover, said cap body having said inlet and outlet ports, said watersuctioning space being defined by said casing body and said cap body. 4.The electric water pump as claimed in claim 2, wherein said machine bodyfurther includes an auxiliary cover that is connected to said heatdissipation cover and that covers said control module.